Broadland Housing Association

Homes, community & support since 1963

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    2022 Gardening Competition – the results!

    2022 Gardening Competition – the results!

    Thank you and well done to everyone who entered our 2022 Gardening Competition.

    The competition judges included our Environmental Champions and Jane, our tenant gardening guru. They were delighted to be able to visit tenants and their gardens in person, and were so thrilled to receive so many entries.

    This year’s entrants were of the highest standard, yet again making judging difficult. We were pleased to meet and talk with so many enthusiastic gardeners. Many said how much gardening had helped with their mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic.

    Our Overall Winner was chosen because it is an exceptional example of an English cottage garden. All the sheds, pond and built areas are made from recycled materials. It has lots of plant propagation and seed sowing, with a good mixture of vegetables, wild flowers and perennials. Wildlife is well catered for and the whole garden is cared for by a very enthusiastic gardener.

    Jane, one of the competition judges

    After some difficult decisions, they finally picked the following winners, runners-up and Highly Commended awards. There was also a Judge’s Choice award for ‘Best Newcomer’ given to new tenants who entered the competition. They both worked hard to create their well maintained and peaceful patio.

    Overall Winner – Mr Waithe

    Best Garden
    Winner – Mr & Mrs Bridges
    Runner-up – Mrs Cook
    Highly Commended – Miss Rowe

    Best Small Garden
    Winner – Mrs Osborne
    Runner-up – Mrs Davey
    Highly Commended – Mr & Mrs Clarke, Mr & Mrs Laws, Mrs Beales, Mrs O’Brien and Miss Gavrilina.

    Best Communal Garden
    Joint winners – Miss Martins & Ms Grunberg and Mr & Mrs O’Brien
    Runner-up – Mr & Mrs Jones
    Highly Commended – Mr Fox

    Best Patio, Courtyard or Balcony
    Winner – Miss Martins & Ms Grunberg
    Runner-up – Mr Bayford
    Highly Commended – Mr Peddle, Mr Simmons and Quebec Street tenants.

    Judge’s Choice Award ‘Best Newcomer’     – Mr & Mrs Humphries

    Please see our video of the winning entries below.

    2022 Gardening Competition – the results!

    All entrants have received a certificate for their efforts, and winners and runners-up in each category also received a Love2shop voucher.

    We hope their gardens will inspire you this summer, and we look forward to receiving your entries for next year’s competition.

    Canary Quay – Offsite Awards 2022 finalist

    Offsite Awards 2022 logo

    [UPDATE: 20 September 2022:]

    Canary Quay announced as winner of Best Use of Steel Technology, Offsite Awards 2022!

    Our Canary Quay project in Norwich is a finalist in 3 categories of the Offsite Awards 2022. The awards celebrate the innovative use of offsite construction technology.

    With our construction partners R G Carter and Sigmat, we are shortlisted in 3 categories:

    • Client of the Year
    • Social Housing Project of the Year
    • Best Use of Steel Technology
    Offsite Awards - Broadland Housing Association finalist - Client of the Year 2022
    Offsite Awards - Broadland Housing Association finalist in Social Housing Project of the Year for Canary Quay
    Offsite Awards 2022 - Broadland Housing Association finalist in Best use of steel technology 2022
    CIOB visit to Canary Quay, Norwich, 17 March 2022

    Inspiring design and technology

    The Offsite Awards recognise projects that are outstanding examples of offsite design and technology, including prefabrication and factory-based methods, products, systems and disciplines. The 25 award Offsite Award categories cover every aspect of the building industry, from hybrid and modular technology to engineering and installation. Offsite technology is changing the contemporary built environment.

    We’re extremely pleased to be shortlisted for these awards. It highlights the exciting work we’re doing in partnership with RG Carter and Sigmat at Canary Quay.

    Executive Development Director Andrew Savage

    The Offsite Awards ceremony will be held on 20 September at the Coventry Building Society Arena in Coventry.    

    Work underway on 5 homes in Thetford for former rough sleepers

    Work underway on 5 homes in Thetford for former rough sleepers

    Start of building work on 5 new affordable homes for former rough sleepers in Thetford, part of a joint initiative between Breckland Council and Broadland Housing Associatoin
    Michael Newey (right) Executive of Broadland Housing Association with Councillor from Breckland Council at start of work on site at Elm Road, Thetford, on 5 homes for former rough sleepters
    Ceremony to mark start of building work at Elm Road, Thetford; (right) Councillor Gordon Bambridge of Breckland Council and Broadland Housing Chief Executive Michael Newey

    Building work on 5 new affordable homes in Thetford for former rough sleepers is now underway.

    We are delighted to be working on this project with Breckland Council, which has gifted the land – a former school car park on Elm Road, Thetford.  Grant funding has come from Homes England via the Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme.

    The 5 x 1-bedroom homes (4 houses and 1 bungalow) have a timber frame design for speed of construction and to ensure low embodied carbon.  Our partners, local firm H Smith of Honingham, are building the new homes, which will be energy-efficient, with air source heat pumps.

    Access Community Trust will support the tenants with housing management and tenancy support services.

    Councillor Chapman-Allen, the Leader of Breckland Council, and Councillor Gordon Bambridge, Executive Member for Housing & Homelessness at Breckland Council, joined our Chief Executive Michael Newey, at a ceremony to mark the start of work on the joint initiative.

    I am delighted to see building work starting on this new partnership project within Breckland, aimed at supporting former homeless residents who need support to get back into long term accommodation.  These new low-embodied-carbon buildings will complement the fantastic work already taking place at Elm House in Thetford, which is supporting local people in need of emergency accommodation.”

    Councillor Gordon Bambridge, Executive Member for Housing & Homelessness, Breckland Council

    This project is a great example of what can be achieved when organisations such as Breckland Council and Broadland Housing work together in partnership to tackle the problem of homelessness.

    These much-needed energy-efficient homes will be built to the high quality standards we have for all our homes.  By bringing back into use a piece of surplus land, we can ensure that more people leave the streets and can have a home to call their own.

    Michael Newey, Chief Executive, Broadland Housing Association

    The 5 new homes will be completed in early 2023.

    York Place celebrates 40 years!

    Tenant Ann Chamberlin and Michael Newey at York Place Dereham 40th anniversary celebration

    Tenants at York Place in Dereham recently celebrated their sheltered housing scheme’s 40th birthday.

    The scheme’s longest-standing resident, Ann Chamberlain (94), who moved into York Place in 1988, cut a special birthday cake with Michael Newey, Chief Executive.

    Addressing tenants and members who gathered to celebrate over pizza, Michael Newey said:

    Back in 1982, York Place was ahead of its time.  Building a scheme so close to the town centre, just off the High Street, was quite unusual.

    But there is a model here for living, not just in terms of sheltered housing.  As towns have to reinvent themselves, bringing people back living in town centres seems such a sensible idea.  There is a model here that other communities in Norfolk and further afield could really learn from.

    Michael Newey, Chief Executive, Broadland Housing Association

    Tenant Ann Chamberlain said that York Place was a great place to live. 

    It has a proper sense of community. We are one big happy family.  It’s nice and near the town centre – I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

    Ann Chamberlain, York Place’s longest-standing tenant

    Broadland built York Place, which is situated right in the town centre off Becclesgate, in the early 1980s.

    The scheme offers independent living for the over-55s.  In 2018 it was expanded to add 6 new flats, 2 shared ownership bungalows and a new landscaped communal garden.  It now has 53 one-bedroom flats and bungalows.

    There is a lively social programme at York Place, with an active social club, coffee mornings, bingo and games evenings, and regular activities and outings.

    Find out more about York Place.

    Lakenfields shortlisted for top planning prize

    Lakenfields at Webster Court, Norwich (exterior)

    Lakenfields in line for top planning award

    Our Lakenfields scheme in Norwich has been shortlisted for the RTPI East of England Awards for Planning Excellence!

    Lakenfields at Webster Court, Norwich from the exterior
    Lakenfields at Webster Court, south Norwich (picture: Bidwells)

    The RTPI (Royal Town Planning Institute) Awards for Planning Excellence celebrate some of the eastern region’s most impressive projects.

    Lakenfields, at Webster Court, is a finalist in the Excellence in Planning for Communities (small schemes of 50 or less) categoy.

    Working with Norwich City Council and Bidwells, we successfully obtained planning permission in January 2021. The project itself was completed in late 2021, and tenants moved into the modular apartments in December 2021.

    The scheme provided rapid development of affordable housing to address homelessness in Norwich through dynamic partnership working with the local authority. This required the planning team to gain consent quickly and without any pre-commencement conditions to hit the timescales.

    Andrew Savage, Development Director, Broadland Housing Association

    Dynamic collaboration

    A the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government released funding to help address homelessness. It was an opportunity for local authorities and housing associations to work together to deliver the affordable housing needed.

    Lakenfields at Webster Court is a direct outcome of this funding stream. It demonstrates how collaborative working can deliver high-quality affordable housing quickly to meet urgent needs.

    This project showcases how planning, and the wider property industry, causes real tangible change in local communities and benefits the wellbeing of vulnerable individuals.

    Norwich is consistently named one of the best places to live in the UK. However, there was an acute need for accommodation to support vulnerable residents, particularly following the pandemic. [This scheme] is providing Norwich with better facilities and care for its residents by providing vital support to those in need.

    Jake Lambert, Principal Planner, Bidwells

    Positive impact on quality of life

    The awards highlight “exceptional examples of how planning and planners have a positive impact on our quality of life in creating exceptional places and protecting our environment”.  

    The Regional Judging Panel have now reviewed and judged all entries. The winners will be announced at the RTPI East of England Awards Gala on 30 June 2022 at Hylands House in Chelmsford, Essex.

    The top-scoring entries in all 15 categories will go through to the national finals later this year. The national winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 30 November 2022.

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